Vacuum cleaner



March 19, 1946. v E: u bE TH' 2,396,862

VACUUM CLEANER Original Filed Feb. 18, 1943 I 1110611 177 E TLifldemTh "PateniedMiii l9. 1946"" UNITED s'mrs PATENT 1 orricr.

VACUUM CLEANER Erik Torvald Linderoth, Enkoping, Sweden Original application February 18, 1943, Serial No.

476,298. Divided and this application Septemher 7, 1943, Serial No. 501,480. In Sweden November 28, 1941 2 Claims. '(Cl. 15-158) The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner mainly intended for use in cleaning soft carpets from dust and other solid impurities.

It is known to use two kinds of nozzles, with or without brush, in vacuum cleaners. The nozzle without brush is recommended for cleaning soft carpets which might be worn too much by a brush. In spite thereof a nozzle with a brush is often used also for soft carpets as it effects amuch better cleaning,

The present" invention relates to a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle provided with one or several brushes adapted and arranged in such a way that the wear will be practically eliminated and the cleaning effect greatly improved and carried to a much greater depth into the carpet than was. possible hitherto when using an ordinary vacuum cleaner nozzle.

According to the invention the vacuum cleaner nozzle is provided with one or several elongated hollow spaces which are provided with a :nozzle orifice and communicate with the source of vac-' 4 uum, said hollow spaces being obliquely positioned in relation to the direction of motion determmed by the handle of the vacuum cleaner and adapted to receiveand enclose freely rotatably journalled cylindrical brushes so that a p tion of the brush protrudes through the nozzle oriflce.

The protruding brush or brushes support the nozzle in such a manner that they will freely roll 'like wheels on the carpet when the nozzle is pushed along the carpet.

The obliqueposition of the brush causes some" little friction against the carpet. This friction is, however, quite insignificant, if the bristles are bearings, if desired, and such an embodiment will the bristles are secured in radially bored holes, the bristles may be secured between spirally twisted metal wires. Such a'brush being known per se, makes it possible to carry out the brush with a small diameter, while maintaining a sufficient length and a good flexibility of the bristles. The wire spiral serving as a shaft of the brush may, however, be too flexible for a brush of the length that is'required in a vacuum cleaner nozzle if the shaft is not reinforced.

This difliculty is eliminated according to an embodiment of the invention by not journalling the brush on its shaft; Instead the brush may simply be inserted into a nozzle formed as a slotted tube. The cylindrical brush will then be supported in and guided by the cylindrical hollow This arrangement removed for cleaning. litthe same time a very simple and practical design is obtained. The brush or brushes may of course he journalled in also be described below.

A couple of embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawing.

-Fig. 1 shows a sectional elevation, taken along the line C -D in Fig. 2 of a vacuum cleaner nozzle adapted-according to the invention. ,Fig. 2 shows, partly in section, a-plan View of the same. Fig. 3 shows a vertical section taken along the line E -F in Fig. 4 through a modified embodisufiiciently flexible, as the bristles will be bent sidewards in relation to the direction of motion of the brush along the carpet. The oblique position of the brush or brushes has not for its object to increase thefriction'asainst the carpet but only to bend the bristles sidewards so that the action of the bristles will be a quite novel one. When the bristles thus bent and strained are released, they suddenly snap back with such force and in such direction that they loosen the impurities and throw them into the cleaner nozzle rent.

The condition of'fiexibility of the bristles is contrary to the desirability of a small brush diameter. This problem is, however, solved by proment of a vacuum cleaner nozzle.

Fig; 4 shows, partly in section, a plan view of the latter embodiment.

In'the vacuum cleaner nozzle according to Figs.

' l and 2, 26 designates the cylindrical brush. Its

-from where they are carried off by the air curoperation.

hub '(shaft) 2'! consists of two wires twisted together. The portion of the nozzle 28 that surrounds the brush 26 is formed as a cylindrical hollow space 29, in which the brush 26 is loosely placed.

The brush protrudes somewhat'below the bottom side of the nozzle through a slot 30, the width of which is somewhat smaller than the 1 diameter of the brush. The gravity may thus not make thebrush drop out, when the nozzle is raised from the carpet. However, the slot 30 should not be narrower than that the brush may be readily pulled, out through the slot and just as readily be reinserted in its pla e by a manual This arrang'er'nentis or great advantage as it makes possible to use the same nozzle also. for such purposes when a brush must not reciprocating motion of the nozzle.

longitudinal axis of the hollow space 29 that surrounds the brush 26. As a vacuum cleaner noz zle usually is moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the suction tube (the handle), it follows that the brush due to said oblique position will stand obliquely to the direction of the To take up the side pressure that the brush exerts on the nozzle due to its oblique position, the shaft of the brush is provided with projecting Pins 34 at both ends. These pins support the brush against the plane end walls of the hollow space 29.

As the vacuum cleaner nozzles usually are made of light metal, which is very soft, a bearing plate 35 of harder metal should be inserted in said end walls opposite the pins 34.

A nozzle according to Figs. 1 and 2, when the brush 26 is inserted, i mainly intended for the cleaning of soft carpets. The brush 26 should protrude so much below the nozzle as the bristles are figured to penetrate into the carpet. The brush 26 should further have such a small diameter in relation to the length of that portion of "the bristles, which protrudes below the nozzle, that the angle of engagement of the bristles with the carpet while protruding below the nozzle amounts to at least 45 and suitably 60 or more. In order to press the nozzle provided with a brush as close a possible to the carpet and to make the brush penetrate as deeply as possible into the carpet,.the brush may as an alternative be flexibl journalled in bearings supported by springs.

aao eea ther facilitate the close approach of the nozzle to the object, the sleeve 33 is rotatably connected to the nozzle. The lower end of said sleeve is provided with a cylindrical head 38 that is journalled in a cylindrical recess 39 in the nozzle and held in position therein by means of two catches 40.

Also in the embodiment according to Figs. 3 and 4 the brushes are readily removable. For this purpose one of the arms of the resilient frame 36 is moved sidewards just as much as is necessary to make the pin 34 get out of the bearing 35.

It is self-explanatory that the above described vacuum cleaner may be used not only for cleaning carpets but also for the cleaning of other textile materials.

Having now particularly described the nature of my invention and the manner of its operation what I claim is:

l. A vacuum cleane comprising a nozzle communicating with a source of vacuum, a handle attached to said nozzle, at least one cylindrical elongated hollow space formed in said nozzle, a cylindrical brush roller with flexible bristles freely mounted and rotatable in said elongated hollow space, an oblong nozzle orifice provided in the bottom of said elongated space, the elongated hollow space with said cylindrical brush and said oblong nozzle orifice being obliquely disposed in relation to the direction of motion of the cleaner as determined by the position of said handle, the

' walls of said space engaging and holding the brush Figs. 3 and 4 show such an embodiment. Nu-

merals 26 to 35 designate the same parts as the corresponding numerals in Figs. 1 and 2. In this embodiment two brushes 26 are used which are positioned obliquely in opposite: directions in order to balance the side pressures that otherwise would be exerted by the brushes upon th nozzle. The diameter of the hollow space 29 is further so adapted that the brush may run freely within said space. I

The brush is journalled on the pins 34 bearings 35 which in this case act both as radial and axial bearings. The bearings 35 are carried by a resilient wire frame 35. Said frame may, if desired, be made from flat springs o be punched out in One Piece from a steel late. The frame 36 is secured to the nozzle by means of screws 31. The resilient frame 36 has for its object to keep the brush pressed against the object to be treated. Thus, the brush will-not prevent the nozzle from being closely pressed against said object. To furroller-[with the lower portion thereof protruding through said nozzle orifice a distance below the bottom side of th nozzle to support the latter like a freely rolling wheel the brush bristles being the only means provided for supporting the moving nozzle.

2. A vacuum cleaner, comprising a nozzle communicating with a source of vacuum, a handle attached to said nozzle, at least one elongated hollow substantially cylindrical space formed in said nozzle, a cylindrical brush roller with flexible bristles-freely mounted and rotatable insaid elongated hollow space, said brush roller having a diameter substantially the same as that of said hollow cylindrical space and being freely rotatable within the latter without special bearings, an oblong nozzle orifice provided in the bottom of said elongated hollow space, the elongated cylindrical hollow spaceand the cylindrical brush roller and the oblong nozzle orifice being obliquely disposed in relation to the direction of movement of the cleaner as determined by the position of said handle, the walls of said space engaging and holding the brush roller with the lower portion thereof protruding through saidnozzle orifice a distance below the bottom side of the nozzle to support the latter like a'freely rolling wheel, the brush bristles being the only mean provided for supporting the moving nozzle.

ERIK TORVALD LINDEROTH. 

